Pumpkin Sunrise

  Good morning! How are you doing on this last day of the year? I hope 2026 is wonderful for you!  My knitting has been almost exclusively knitting these mitts . I am on the lining of the first mitt and I'm enjoying how fast the knitting is now that it isn't color-work knitting and chart reading. So far I am on target to finish them by mid January for my sister's birthday. What are you working on this week?

  Hello! Merry Christmas and soon to be Happy New Year! How have you been? I have been thoroughly enjoying the in between days and having absolutely nowhere to go unless I choose to go somewhere. I'm also enjoying my adult learning classes break. It's nice to be relaxed. My daughter in law and son gifted me the gilmore girls mug, I love it. I watch it when I want a comforting show and I can knit while it's on.  I've been feverishly knitting my sister's mitts and I started a sweater for me. Of course yesterday, I un-knit as much as I knitted. I don't know what is up with that. I did get frustrated though and set everything aside. I'm hoping today is a better knitting day. Today the temperatures are dropping quickly and the wind is howling outside. The weather has been crazy. I switched back to exercising inside two weeks ago because even though I can tolerate cold weather, my eyes and mouth get dried out and cause me problems (thanks autoimmune disease!). I h...

  Good morning! Happy Christmas Eve to all who celebrate! This past week I have been focusing on my sister's birthday mitts ! I am already on the outside second mitt and hope that will be finished in two days. I have yet to knit the thumbs and of course the lining of each mitt. I am enjoying this project and have hit my rhythm of knowing what to knit on each row of the chart at a glance. The palm pattern (not in photo) is easy and repetitive. What are you working on this week? 

  Good morning from a very busy house! How are you? I'm doing pretty good.  My weekend had two sleepovers. Friday night our grandson slept over for the first time and we had so much fun. Then last night both local grandchildren slept over. We watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Frosty the Snowman. Great great fun.  Can you believe it's Christmas week already? Where does the time go? I think I am ready but who knows, I frequently forget stuff so maybe I'll remember something along the way.  The above photo is the Christmas scarf that will not be done by Christmas day but hopefully by New Year's Day. I cannot knit when the kids are here. I wonder why?  If you celebrate Christmas are you ready? 

Hello! How are you? Well now, I finally finished a pair of socks for my husband to tuck into his Christmas stocking just in time. I started these socks in July! I have taken my time but I enjoyed the time knitting them.  The other projects that are not in the photo are: a Christmas scarf for me and a pair of mitts for my sister's birthday in January. I am enjoying both projects and yet dream of starting a sweater for myself on Christmas day! What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! We have snow and it is beautiful but very very cold outside. I love it!! How are you doing? I am okay, I had another salivary gland infection over the weekend and am now slowly recovering with the help of modern medicine. I sure do hope 2026 is a healthier year for me. This year has been a difficult year all due to Sjogren's Disease, the gift that keeps on giving. I have a few new doctors and more treatments so I am hopeful I will be healthier. In the spring, my son and daughter in law gave me a Gilmore Girls themed jigsaw puzzle. I put it together in about four days with the help of my son and my husband. I do love a jigsaw puzzle but I don't like how obsessed I become to get it done and the hunched over stance I keep while doing it. I started a pair of mittens for my sister for her birthday in January. I've knit the pattern before so it's an oldie but a goodie. I love to knit the same things repeatedly. How was your weekend? Are you ready for the holid...

  Good morning! How are you doing today? I finished the cowl!!! I loved this project and I really love how it blocked out. I like seeing the little butterflies. The bottom photo is the true color of the cowl, I have no idea what happened in the above photo, I'll blame it on winter lighting. I'm going to wear this cowl today! Thanks for the healthy well wishes in my last post. I had a video call with my ENT and I'm going to have a procedure (outpatient in hospital) on my salivary glands to dilate the ducts to hopefully improve the salivary flow and she will remove any stones along the way sometime in January. Today I see the eye doctor about the one contact lens clouding up, I believe it's a fitting issue but I'm not the expert. What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you doing?  I have been doing okay. I have autoimmune symptoms that I'm battling yet again but it could be worse. Now it's dry eye and dry mouth instead of breathing issues. I am suspecting my outside walking is making my symptoms flare up, sigh. I'm staying inside this week to see if it helps me out.  My adult learning classes ended over a week ago except for one more Tai Chi class this week. I have thoroughly been enjoying the break! My knitting has blossomed. I'm trying to finish the pair of socks for my husband this week. While also spontaneously starting a Christmas scarf out of wool I received from one of my knitting pals where I used to live. The mail I get from the three of them is wonderful!!  I have a mighty to do list from here on out until the holidays. I finished wrapping all the gifts now I'm down to some selfish knitting and some last minute knitting. I love it! How was your week? How are your holiday plans?

  How are you doing? I am speedily knitting my cowl trying to finish it this week. I have less than 10 rows to go!! I hope the blocking shows the 'butterfly stitch'. I also hope I like the length and width when I am wearing it. I usually knit with fingering weight wool for around my neck. I believe this is dk weight (I can't remember!).  Also on the needles is the languishing pair of socks for my husband. I really want to put these in his Christmas stocking. I love that I can knit socks for him, in front of him and he hasn't a clue they are for him. Oblivious. What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you doing? How was your week? I am knee deep in holiday preparations. I have a daily list that I refer to so I can get things done without feeling stressed out at the last minute. My memory isn't that great so I love that I write down what is on my mind, because I frequently forget! My sister and I went yarn shopping on Saturday for my belated birthday outing. It was so much fun!! I can't show you most of what I bought because Santa has already whisked it away and wrapped it up for Christmas day. I have high hopes of casting on a sweater December 25th. Above are the yarns my sister picked out for another pair of lined mittens for her birthday in January. I have a few projects to finish before I start them but I did enjoy balling up the yarn! Can you believe it's December?

  Good morning! How are you doing? I did it! I finished the two hats for the local grands and have completed my Holiday knitting (except for socks for my husband but that doesn't count). Because the hats were knit on size seven needles, I knit these up quite speedily. I have a feeling they might be a bit too big but I'd rather have that than too small. Children do grow! What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you doing? Sorry for the slightly blurry photo, the popcorn is in focus though... Here's the hat I started for the oldest grandson. I am so close to the crown shaping. I found another purl soho pattern to knit up, they have some great free patterns!! I really didn't knit while I was in Boston, however, last night I sat and worked on the hat. I was thrilled to be back to my regular routines. What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you? I'm so excited to share these WEE little socks  that I worked on this past week.  My daughter requested some newborn socks because our little grandson can kick all the store bought ones off. I used deep leftover sock yarn stash and had a blast knitting them up. I used size 2 needles instead of size 1 and therefore knit a little less length in the cuff and the foot, doing my guestimating. I think they turned out so nice. What are you working on this week? What are you working on this week?

  Hello! How are you doing?  Well now, I've been under the weather with a rotten virus most of this past week, but yesterday morning I went to urgent care and now with modern medicine I am starting to feel better. 2025 is not the year of great health for me but I am confident that 2026 will be new and improved. I've changed two doctors also added a new specialist and feel like we will get to the bottom of my medical woes. Even though I felt crummy I still was busy! We went to the local park with the grands. The colors of fall have been beautiful this week, I love them so much!! I did take some short slow walks and enjoyed the foliage. Can you believe we are almost through mid November. Time flies. We have been very busy with the grandkids this past week due to scheduling issues with the parents, we are always happy to help them out. I did make one more hat for the new grandson, photo below, but I'll just add that photo to the existing project page. I thoroughly enjoyed knit...

  Good morning! How are you doing and what have you been working on this week? I finished two baby hats for the newborn. The top photo is a newborn size and the bottom photo is a 3-6 month size. I plan to make another one in the larger size after I finish knitting little baby socks.  I used left over super wash dk weight yarn from deep stash. I love when I have the wool available to knit up little gifts. Also I enjoy striping the scrap yarns, yarn doodling is joyful! The pattern was quite easy however, I didn't like the rolled edge from the first hat (a personal preference) so I switched to a little ribbing edge and it still rolls however it will not roll once it is on a little head.

  Good morning! How are you?  Well we had the time change this weekend, the nights are super cosy now. I love it. I get so much more knitting done in the fall and winter compared to spring and summer and I give the time change the credit. We had chilly weather and I even wore a winter coat one morning. Holly found the perfect sunspot and I was able to document it. She doesn't like her photo taken usually, she finds the behavior suspicious. Over the weekend we hosted our daughter in law's birthday party and local family attended as well as her mom. The gathering was wonderful however, I was tired after all the setting up and putting away. My sister helped in the kitchen and that made my work easier. I do not remember how loud kids were when mine were little. I love how my memory is warped because you know they were loud sometimes, right? Despite my fatigue I did walk outside over the weekend and enjoyed the fall views. I have the rest of my tests for the pulmonary doctor this w...

  Hello! How are you doing today? I secretly knitted up eight wee stars to give as little presents to my family. Last year I made the same pattern in a different color and enjoyed the knitting process. Yet again, I have completed something on my knitting holiday to do list! What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you doing? I've been doing okay, I haven't been feeling the greatest but I could feel worse. My schedule is busy and maybe I don't get enough downtime to recharge my batteries. It's going to be busy with grandkids, adult learning classes and many doctor appointments in the next 2 1/2 weeks.  I still have a few tests for the pulmonary doctor to complete before I see her mid-November for a follow up visit. I have only myself to blame for the scheduling!  I found out that there is emergency knitting to be had! My daughter informed me that the baby desperately needs hats and socks for his tiny body. All the gifts she received are for 6 months and bigger. Well you know what I was doing yesterday, a deep dive into my yarn stash! I cast on a little hat yesterday afternoon. Bliss knitting! I've been walking outside and enjoying being in nature after more than six months of doing cardio in my house. There is nothing like fresh air and I believe na...

  This post title should say 'non-knitting news' because I haven't picked up my knitting in 48 hours. I promise today I will knit. Mondays and Tuesdays are busy for me so by the time I sit down I am exhausted and don't feel like knitting.  How are you? How are your projects?  I thought a close up shot of the cowl pattern would be interesting. I love this project and maybe I will be wearing this cowl by November? I have high hopes of finishing my holiday knitting list as well, then if I am motivated I want to knit up some quick hats for the grandkids from the leftover yarns from their holiday sweaters. What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you doing these days? Around here, it's the same old stuff. I pick up the kids at daycare 2-3 times a week depending on the schedule. This week my adult classes start back up after a lovely one week break.  Thankfully we had some much needed rain yesterday and through the night. Also the temperature is reflecting October vibes, finally. I love to be cold. the rain and wind brought down tons of oak leaves! The awning on the back patio was taken down for the season.  Friday afternoon we went to the conservatory to see their fall flower show. I was excited to see my first turtle ever at their pond. Sometimes we see frogs, but never a turtle. He was sunbathing and wasn't thrilled we were walking by him/her. After the conservatory, we were supposed to go out for dinner but I was too tired to do so. We went home instead and had some soup. Yum! I am nearly done with the second Christmas stocking. I make two for each grandchild. One for their home and one ...